Wheel



7 9 R m a, m m 0 w E m N T m m w L ELBV Ema wm i d e B n F March 15, 1927. 4

Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

i't E' SIT P rezone? Pic;-

rs r I immvARn J. EE AN; or LOS AneELEs, CALIFORNIA. r

1 WHEEL.

Application filed December This invention relates to wheels, and particularlyto a resilient type of wheel. The

present invention has reference to means,

adapted to takethe place of the ordinary tire of the pneumatic type now generally used on motor vehicles.

'The provision of tires for vehicles is 'quite an' item of expense with tires at all times subjected to liability to puncture, and due to the presentinfiation of the rubber m'arket'the replacement of tires after a few thousand miles of use, is an item' of EX pe-nse to be considered. lVhile my invention relates to resilient wheel's :1n'general,

" still my invention is so formed that it is' adapted to be handled in a commercial way the sameas the ordinary pneumatic tire with the said invention in such form as'to render end view of each sectional spring member is equivalent'to a transverse sectional view of the ordinary t re carcass now generally used. The diiierent sectional spring members cooperate to provide what may be termed a I resilient tire comprising sprmgs and which would function in all respects thesame as the ordinary pneumatlctire, with the exception 'thatthe present invention is more durable, not liable to puncture, and so arranged that'the same may be readily re: tread when the tread portion becomesw'orn.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character above stated, which is simple of construction and generally superior. v v

Vith the above andother objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and uselul provision, formation, construction, as-

sociation and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown. in certain embodiments in" the accompanying drawing, described generally and more particularly. pointed out in the claims.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is'an elevation of my improved resilient Wheel considered as an entirety;

" Figure 2 is a cross sectional View showing rim 1, as shown in Figure reversedly' curved portions of each section The CllDCllGl s, 1925 Serial No. 74,016."

a portionof theresilient tire and on an e11 larged scale from the showing of Figure 1 Figure 3 1s a side elevatlon of: one of the sectional resllient members forming a part of the invention Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of one of the clincher rings; and, I

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modification of my invention.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

' Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved resilient wheelis designated as an entirety by A, of which a con stitutes a portion of the wheel, and b resilient means for the wheel, both of which elements are used-inpracticing one embodiment of the invention. The wheel a may be of any form Whether spoke or otherwise,

andin the presentinvention the wheel a is of the disc type. The means '6 is adapted to takethe place of theordinary pneumatic tire which would ordinarily be carried on the disc a. The means 6 includes a rim 1 adapted to be secured to' the disc Wheel a in any approved manner and which rim is provided with two spaced curved annular sectional resilient members 4' having ends thereof 5 and'6' curved to fit within the curved flanges 2 and 3 respectively of the rim, andwith clincher rings 7 and 8 for engagement with such curved ends for main-; 'taining the sectional member 4: to the rim.

These'members 4 may be formed of springvflange portionsi2 and 3, and a pluralityof I like material such as spring steel and which are bowed transversely andthen'reversedly curved adjacent their terminal portions, as shown at 5 and 6. This bowed portionresembles a transverse section pneumatic tire carcass.

Assuming that Ihave provided a plurality of sections 4 I mount thes'ame upon. the 1, th'e'ends of the being adjacent each other, rings are adapted to hold the saidsections to the said rim. The clincher, rings may be of any form desired, such as that shownfin Figure 4, which figure is illustrativeofthe of the ordinary lDU split type of clincher ring, which'is to say,

the ring is a'split annulus with two'ou'tstanding lugs 9 and 10 which are provided with aligned bores through which a lock bolt 11 is passed so that the two lugs. may be drawn together to lessen the diameter of the V annulus and-thereby properly .clinch the elements .4 to the rim. The assembled resilient elements .4 have an inter-connecting tread 12, and in part embedded within said tread are inter-connected links of chains 13. It will-be noted that each link has a loop portion 14 which extends inwardly from the inner surface of the-tread,and that other curved portions of each link are within the tread proper. This method of construction permits {the tread to'bezplaced upon the secctional pieces 4. Forinstance, in the showing o-frlfigure 12 we have in transverse section a portion of the tread with five links of a ser.ies of chains, and-=1 extend between the curved portions 14and :the inner-surface of each section ,4 a cable'l't'.v I also provide cables 18 which are included between the curved 1901110118116 andthe outer surface of eachsection 4, and these cables interconnect the different-sections. -This method of construction -permits of flexibility and unit {functioning of each section 4.

P :It'is togbe1noted1that-the sections diverge or ;separate, asshownat 19 adjacent the :tread. However, the cables which unitethe tread toithe sections :form .a bond between. such adivergent portions =of the sections and :li-kewise so that the different sections will operate itogether 1where=theycontact with :the

ground or other surface and in such a;-manner vasnotto cut the tread where it lies in 'to the sections. As a further precaution such divergent portion between the sections. .The tread could be made with the-chains :therein and then passed over the peripheries of.:the differ'entsections, after which the flexibleicables could be inserted on both sides .ofthesections to securely anchor the tread against undue flexibility under load of the various sections 4, I have provided other sec- 1210115 20 whichlie Wltlllll'tl'lBSBCtlORS 4, and

.ilikewise'spaced from such sections4,all as indicated in Fig. 2. The sectlons 20 are pro- :vided with reversibly curved flanges 21 and 22' which cooperate with 1 :the reversibly curved :flangesSand-(i of the sections 4 andv are :received-within the flange portions 2 and 3 of.the rim. After-the section or sections 4 have'moved downwardly a certain distancesundcr an applied load, the said sections :will contact with the sections 20 and wtend to move. them.""'T;he :precise manner by which the rimil is held to the wheel is not. .ar-feature of the invention as it n ay be held in any approved manner.

I "The mod'ficatlon of'my' invention, shown lI1'Fig.-.5 doesznot .differj essentially from the dorm shown in the other figures, withthe possible exeeption ithatrthe different sections are LCI'OSSBCl, which to say, I provide-sec- {tions 4O aforme'd' .of spring-like materiahithe ends of which are reversibly curved as shown at 41 and 42 so as to berecei-ved in the annular curved flange portions'43 and 44, respectively of a rim 45, with portions extending outwardly from said curved portions which are crossed, as .shown at 46 and 47 and then merged into a curved loop 48.

The rim slopes inwardly from the curved annular flange portions, as shown at 49 and s 50 and theportions 46 and 47 1 of the flexible means follow jhe general contour of the rim atz the portions 49 and 50," with the result that there are fulcrumed .zones ,51 and .52

provided-for such flexible members The curved or looped portionamay have its periphery covered with a tread SEE-the same as previously shown. NVhen a load is imposed upon a tread the portions46 and 47 will tend to bend over the fulcrumed zones and yield ingly resist load effect .on such tread. Unncher rings are provided .as befor I have provided in this invention a resilient tire formed of sections,.eachsection of in andof itself of sustaining wcight without need-of auxiliary means such as .air in. such sustenation.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in practicing themeans adapted to be passed through said loops :for maintaining thetread to said-segmental springs. V I 2. In a device of the character disclosed, a tire coi npnsing an annular series of segmental springs, a

being provided with loops adapted to extend inwardly fromusaid tread and lye-received between the segmental springs-s and .means adapted-to -.be passed through said'loops for maintaining the tread to said segmental springs; said last named-means comprising cables "received avithln such segrnental springs, and -further means included .be-

tween the chain, tread and outer surface of the segmental springs forinterconnecting said :se mental sorin 's.

Intestimony whereof, .I have signed .my I

name to this specification,

BERNARD lagiienntan.

tread .upon said springs, a series ofcha ns wathin saidtnead,saldchains which is made of a flexible material capable 

